Volkswagen Jetta Model History

By Justin Patterson4 May 2017

VW Jetta makes a good family vehicle. It was firstly positioned as affordable car and goes up to middle class, as well as the future 2018 Jetta. This model comes with striking features and has gone through different stages of shape through years of production.

1979-1984 Production

This vehicle replaced the old-fashioned 2-door VW Beetle in U.S. region. You could choose between 2-door and 4-door variants of sedan. Due to American motor vehicle standards, the car was sold with beam lamps of a rectangular shape America. This Jetta was based on the engine of a fuel-injected kind producing 90 horsepower. It was mated to a 5-speed transmission of manual type. Its suspension was quite sporty while its disc brakes were ventilated.

1982 VW Jetta

1979 VW Jetta

1985-1992 Generation

This European vehicle became a number one selling hit in North America. In this region Jetta was a niche above well-known Golf. The vehicle became significantly larger and had enough space for 5 people. Even its trunk was so large that could compete with full-size sedans. Unlike its European variants this Jetta had a slightly bigger engine and tachometer as standard features. It included 2.0-litre unit with 16 valves.

1985 VW Jetta

It was known as Vento in Europe and as Jetta in America. The vehicle improved its aerodynamics and became safer for the environment. This generation could boast a newly TDI of 1.9 litres. There was a strange situation with U.S. Jetta.

Its TDI model wasn’t allowed to tow a trailer. Some blurred technical reasons were claimed to be the culprit of the problem. European TDI models didn’t have such restrictions.

1992 VW Jetta

1994 VW Jetta

1999-2006 Production

Once again it was called Jetta in U.S. but the whole world new it as Bora. It arrived a bit later than Passat which gave it some exterior similarities. This Jetta was the first model to be sold as a station wagon. It was made with a climate control of an automatic type. Its wheelbase was extended. The car had a 1.8-litre engine of turbo kind with 4 cylinders and VR5.

2002 VW Jetta Wagon

2000 VW Jetta

2005-2011 Production

It was the second VW vehicle which debuted in U.S. area. Its exterior reflected some of Golf’s features including its chrome front grille. In addition, its electrical system was completely new. This Jetta included TDI diesel engine which didn’t appear in America because of strict emission standards. Plus, VW introduced a motor oil quality standard which was very strict.

2006 VW Jetta

2006 VW Jetta (rear)

2011-2017 Production

This time Jetta was cheaper during production having become larger. The car didn’t share body panels with Golf anymore. Nevertheless, it still partially used PQ35 platform components. U.S. models which included a trim with lower quality materials and multi-link rear suspension inherited form the 5th generation. Starting from 2011 (and up to 2015) the station wagon was an exclusive production for U.S. However, in 2015 this model is released as sedan only.

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